Mick's story

“I was 111.3 kg when I started the programme and in 14 weeks I was 94.9kg. I feel great, I can walk up the stairs, talk to people more confidently.”

“I came to the Bromley by Bow Centre to do some gardening. My brother told me about it and I was bored. My mum had recently died and I had started drinking to get over it. She had Alzheimer’s for a long time. I got drunk every day. I knew the gardening would be good to give me something to do, and to spend time with people who weren’t drinking too.

On Christmas day I decided no more drink. I was obese. I was doing the gardening when I went to a diabetes clinic at the Health Centre here and they told me about the programme. I stopped drinking beer, I have porridge in the morning and I’m always walking everywhere with my dog – she is the boss!

The programme was great: good people, convenient and good fun because I was the champion every week and my weight is still going down. I feel great, I can walk up the stairs, talk to people more confidently. And now I’ve been invited to talk to the current group. It feels really good to be asked – I feel really proud. I’m going to tell them that if I can do it, they can do it.”